Dyeing machine



Feb. 12 1924. 1,483,263

, E. ALLEN DYEING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1 1922 f n "I, 7 Siti atenteel Feb. I2, I924.

EDWARD ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DYEING MACHINE.

Application med December 1, 1922. seriai No. 604,136.

ToaZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dyeing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in dyeing machines, and more particularly to i0 machines for dyeing yarns used in making of knitted fabrics or garments, although by reason of its construction its use may be readily extended to the dyeing of thread and woven fabrics.

The machine herein disclosedis particularly designed for use in a morev or less well defined art, namely, that of manufacturing knitted fabric or garments of a mixture of wool and cotton yarn.

It may be explained at the outset that garments containing a considerable percentage of cottong are generally preferred as undergarment material, since the combined warmth-producing quality of the wool with the less harsh texture of the cotton affords a greater degree of comfort lto the wearer than a garment of purewool.

In producing garments of this character it has long been'the practice to dye the cotton yarn so as to give the appearance of the wool yarn, not for the purpose of de-` ceiving the purchaser as to the wool content, but rather to impart tothe garment the uniform appearance that is typical of design resulting from the irregularity in the coloring of the wool yarn. Without going into detail as to the lmake up of wool yarn, it will suffice to s ay that cotton yarn can be given the same general appearance by intermittently dyeing the strands va darker color.

The common methodl of dyeing cotton yarn has beento knot the skeins from end to end and then dip themv in the dye sothat the dye penetrates the yarn between they knots, while the knotted portions remain free from dye. 'Ihis is a hand process, and manifestly inefhcient. Mechanical means have also been devised for accomplishing the same end by what may be termed a wiping process, that is, the wiping of the dye on the yarn at intervalsv as Vit is wound onto the bobbins. VThe so-called wipan all wool garment, namely, the mottled ing process'has not been successful since the dye does not penetrate the yarn sufficiently to withstand repeated washings, and

further for the reason that a uniformity of product is difficult to maintain, due to the variation in the speed of the yarn, which produces a variation in the interval and linear extent of the dyed portion, the va. riable speed being the result of the conical hape ofthe yarn as wound onto the bobins.

The object of the presenty invention is therefore to provide an improved method of yarn dyeing, and more efficient mechanism for' accomplishing certain desired results, which are primarily, uniformity in appearance of the finished material, per manency of the dye, and other advantages lwhich will appear as the method and machine are more fully disclosed.

In the drawings, accompanying the de. scriptive matter, and forming a part of the specification- Fig. l is a view in side elevation of the machine embodying the invention,

F ig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rotative dyeing disc, as taken on line 3, 3 of Fig. l, and f Fig. 4 is a view ofa length of cotton yarn, showing the result of the ydyeing.

To vconvey thel general idea of the invention, the dyeing ofthe yarn is carried out by allowing theyarnto travel around the periphery of a wheel or disc lfjournalled in a suitable supporting frame 2, the dye being supplied in liquid form at the axis of the wheel and fed by centrifugalforce outwardly toward the peripheryy throughv the` medium of a layer 3 of porous or absorbent material, such as felt, held between two plates 4, 4, forming the web and periphery of the wheel.

The method of supplying the dye and its distribution to the periphery will be more clearly understood from the following de,-` seription: The wheel or disc, as already suggested, comprises the two annular plates 4, 4, rigidly secured together by the formation of registering triangular shaped depressions 5, uniformly arranged about the axis of the Wheel and which bear flatwise against each other and are secured by rivets 5a. The central portion of the discs` are flared outwardly and then 'drawn into the form 'of tubular-spindles 6,6, serving as the shaft of susr the wheel, and engaging bearings in the supporting frame 2, as will presently be described.

The layer of felt 3, or like material, is of substantially the same diameter as the discs 4,` 4, and necessarily has portions removed corresponding to the depressed portions of said plates, thus providing a series of radial portions connecting a central apertured portion with an outer ring. The periphery of the felt layer terminates short ofthe periphery of the' plates, the latter being flared 'outwardly to form a V-shaped groove. Surrounding the periphery of the wheel is a metallic band or Arim 8 which fits between the flared edges of the plates 4, 4 and within the groove formed thereby` the edges of the rim being crimped or folded over the edges of the plates to secure the parts together. rl`he central portion of the rim 8l is of a width slightly less than the thickness of the felt layer, and has formed therein a series of narrow circumferential slotsv 9, said slots being separated by blank spaces of'substantially equal length. In short, the bottom surface of the peripheral groove consists of alternate blank `and slotted portions, the latter being capable of exuding a quantity'of dyefrom the felt layer just below. 1t is obvious, without going further, that by allowing a strand of yarn to travel over or around the wheel, that the portions coming in contact with the slots 9 will absorb the dye, and the intermediate portions will remain the natural color.` f f The supporting frame 2 consists of. two uprightsv or trunnions 10, 10, formedy integral with a base plate 11, adaptedA for mounting in the line of travel of the/yarn.

from the spools to the bobbins, the dyeing being preferably accomplished' during the rewinding of the yarn from the spools yto the bobbins of theknitting machines.

The upper ends of the trunnions which form the wheel bearings 12, 12 are ofthe usual construction and support therein ball bearings 13, 13, 'which engage the spindles 6` 6 of the wheel 1. lAs clearly shown in F 3,r the spindle at the left ,is closed.A

at its end, whereas the one atlthe right is open. Into the open end is inserted ak sleeve 14 likewise opening laterally tothe right. This sleeve is preferably slotted in the plane of the layer 3, although it may be parted at this point, as at 15.

To the end face of the vright hand bearing 12, Fig. 3, is mounted an intake fitting 16, having the form of an elbow, with one branch extending into the end of the bear-I ing. Secured to the fitting and projecting axially of the sleeve 14 is a fixed nozzle 17, terminating in a flared end at the center of the wheel axle and in the plane of the felt layer 3. A supply pipe 18 is connected with the outer end of the fittingl 16, the samey being provided with a valve 19. It is also observed that an annular cavity 20 is formed at the outer end of the bearing 12, supporting the intake fitting, said cavity surrounding the adjacent end of the sleeve 14. From the. bottoinof the cavity extends a drain pipe 21, which leads to any suitable receptacle or source of supply for the dye, such as a tanlii Which communicates with the supply pipe 18.

As already suggested, the machine is mounted, in the path of the yarn being Wound onto the bobbins, forming the supply to the knitting looms, and so arranged that each strand of yarn travels around or partially around one of these devices. Thus, as the yariiis wound, it turns the wheel at the same peripheral speed as the yarn travels, treating the yarn to the dyeing process and producing a result such as illustrated by Fig. 4, namely, alternate portions of dyed (a) and undyed or natural color (b). The dye is supplied to the yarn first by being discharged in the desired volume through the nozzle 17, the dye dripping from the flared end onto the inner edge of the felt layer. The centrifugal force created by the rotation of the Wheel carries the liquid outwardly to the periphery, whereupon it escapes through the slots 9, to be absorbed by the yarn as it travels with the wheel. The interval of time `that the yarn is in contact with the Wheel being ample to effect a thorough penetration of the dye into the yarn.

Provision is made for leading off any excess dye supplied at the nozzle, such excess ovving along the inside of the sleeve 14 into the cavity or Well 20, where it is drained through the pipe 21 back to the source of supply.

1t is manifest that the wheel is rotated by the'frictional contact of the yarn against the 4grooved periphery of the wheel, and therefore its speed is always commensurate with the speed of travel or rate of Winding of the yarn, and hence it follows that the intervals separating the dyed portions (a) Fig. 4, as well as the length thereof and distancebetween, will be uniform, regardless of any variation of the speed that the yarn travels during the dyeing process. The dye used for this process is preferably in liquid form, consisting in part of a, volatile base which readily evaporates after the yarn has been impregnated, thus making it possible to carry on the dyeing process simultaneously with the winding of the yarn onto the bobbins.

The advantages of this method of dyeing yarn, and the machine for accomplishing the same, over the methods and means heretofore mentioned, are manifest. 1n the first place, the method of supplying the dye at the axis of the Wheel permits of a continuous supply, and tends further to a uniform distribution of the dye, and hence to a uniformity of result. The superiority of this method and the permanency of the dyeing, has already been brought out.

This method and means of accomplishment need not be confined to the particular function herein disclosed, nor to the particular material, for obviously thread, ribbon, or other textiles may be dyed either intermittently, or in solid color, by the same process.

Having described the principal uses and advantages of the invention, I claiml. In a dyeing machine, the combination of a wheel provided with spaces extending radially from its axis and around its pe riphery, means for supplying dye to said space adjacent said axis, and a layer of absorbent material in said space.

2. In a dyeing machine, the combination of a rotative wheel having a grooved and circumferentially slotted rim and internal spaces extending radially from the axis thereof to said rim, means for supplying dye at the axis of said wheel, and a layer of absorbent material filling said spaces.

3. In a dyeing machine, the combination of a rotative wheel having radial passages connecting a hollow axle and radial spaces yextending to the periphery thereof, means for supplying dye to said axle, and a layer of absorbent material in said radial spaces.

4. In a dyeing machine, the combination of a wheel comprising disks spaced apart and having a rim provided with circumferential slots, means for supplying dye to the space between said disks at a point adjacent the axis of said wheel, and means for conducting dye radially to the periphery of the wheel and distributing the same uniformly about the rim in the rotative movement thereof.

5. In a dyeing machine, the combination of a rotative wheel comprising discs spaced apart, an intermediate layer of absorbent material therebetween, and a hollowr axle communicating with the space between said discs, bearings for said axle, and means for supplying dye to said axle, and means for intermittently transferring the dye from said absorbent material to the'material to be dyed as it contacts with the periphery of the wheel.

6. In a dyeing machine, the combination of a rotative wheel having a grooved rim, a hollow axle and a layer of absorbent material intermediate said axle and rim, means for supplying dye to said axle, and a circumferential slot formed at the base of said grooved rim.

7 In a dyeing machine, the combination of a rotative wheel comprising spaced apart discs, a grooved rim having circumferentially spaced slots, a layer of absorbent material between said discs, an axle having a passage from one end thereof communicating with the space between said discs, a fixed nozzle extending axially of said passage, and a supply pipe connected with said nozzle.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day of November, A. D.,

EDWARD ALLEN. 

